Rebound check for starter pinions



Oct. 18, 1932. D. L. WERTZ 1,383,429

REBOUND CHECK FOR STARTER PINIONS' Filed April 27, 1952 v lNl ENTbR L.LU/enf/z TTORNE Y Patented Oct. 18, 1932 L NITED STATES PATENTi OFFICEDANIEL L. wnmz, or ELMIRA, NEW YORK, AssieNon TO ECLIPSE MACHINECOMPANY,

or ELMIRA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION or NEW YRK- REBOUND CHECK FOR STARTERPINIONS Application filed April 27,

This invention relates to a rebound check for starter pinions and moreparticularly to a combined anti-drift and rebound check for normallykeeping a starter pinion in idle position.

In starter drives of the type in which a driving pinion is automaticallytraversed into and out of mesh with a gear of the engine to be started,there is sometimes a tendency for the pinion to move over and contactthe engine gear when the engine is running. This may be caused by thevibration of the engine or may occur by reason of the rebounding of thepinion when thrown out of mesh as the engine starts, and in either casemay cause unnecessary noise and wear of the parts.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel reboundcheck and anti-drift which is simple and economical in constructionwhile being efiicient and reliable in operation.

It is a further object to provide such a device which is readilyadaptable to existing types of starting mechanism.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in theart from the following description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a starter drive showing a preferredembodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail partly in section showing the rebound checkin active position; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the positions of the partswhen the pinion is being traversed toward driving position.

Referring first to Fig. 1 of the drawing there is illustrated a powershaft 1 which may be the extended armature shaft of the starting motor,not shown. An operating member in the form of a screw shaft 2 isslidably j ournalled on the power shaft and is connected to rotatetherewith by means of a yielding driving connection including a torsionspring 3 anchored at its ends to said shaft as indicated at 1 and 5respectively.

A driving member in the form of a pinion 6 is threaded on said screwshaft in position 1932.- Serial No. 607,836.

to be traversed thereby into and out of mesh (Figs. 2 and 3) mounted tobe radially slid able in a counter-weight flange 9 suitably fixed on thepinion 6 in position to bear on screw shaft 2 at the rear of an inclinedshoulder 10 thereon when the pinion is in idle position. vMeans foryieldingly urging the detent 8 into engagement with the screw shaft isprovided in the form ofa spring 11 bearing against the head 12 of thedetent.

Means for arresting the longitudinal movement of the driving member intoidle position and at the same time increasing the pressure of the detent8 against the screw shaft in order to prevent rebounding of the pinionis illustrated in the form of a clip or lever 13 one arm l of which islocated within the flange 9 of the pinion and is traversed by the detent8,;while the opposite arm 15 extends rearwardly at an oblique anglethereto in position to be engaged by a flange 16 on the screw shaft whenthe pinion is in idle position, the spring 11 being arranged to bear onthe arm 14 of lever 1 3-whereby when the lever is tilted by theengagement of the arm 15 with flange 16, the spring 11 will becompressed as shown in Fig. 2. I

Inoperation, rotation of the power shaft 1 is transmitted to theoperating shaft 2 in the direction of the arrow, whereupon the pinion 6by reason of its inertia will be translated to mesh with the engine gear7, the detent 8 riding up the shoulder 10 on the screw shaft withoutundue resistance since the spring 11 is then exerting merely its normalmoderate pressure. When the engine starts, the acceleration of theengine gear causes the pinion to overrun the screw shaft and betranslated thereby back to idle position. This rearward translation maytake place-with considerableviolence but the arm 15 of detent 8 isarranged to-engage the flange'16'on the screw shaft and check therearward motion of the pinion while increasing the frictional engagementof the detent 8 with the screw shaft by reason of the tightening of thespring 11 as shown in Fig. 2. This increased pressure of the detent isarranged to prevent the pinion from bounding back toward the enginegear, but the angle of the threads on the operating shaft 2 issuficiently high so that the parts do not wedge when the pinion isthrown against the flange 16.

Although but one embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed in detail itwill be understood that other embodisigned myname.

DANIEL L. WERTZ.

ments are possible and that changes may be yieldingly opposinglongitudinal movement of the driving member away from idle position andmeans for arrestin longitudinal movement of the driving member into itsidle position, said arresting means being arranged when operative toincrease the effectiveness of the yielding opposing means.

2. In an engine starter drive, an operating shaft, a driving membermounted on said shaft for longitudinal movement into and out ofengagement with a member of an engine to be started and for rotationtherewith to crank the engine, a detent on said driving member foropposing longitudinal movement of the driving member away from idleposition and means for yieldingly arresting longitudinal movement of thedriving member into its idle position, said arresting means beingarranged when operative. to increase the effectiveness of said detent.

3. In an engine starter drive, an operating shaft, a driving membermounted on said pressure of said detent on said shaft.

4. In an engine starter drive, an operating shaft, a driving membermounted on said shaft for longitudinal movement into and out ofengagement with a member of an engine to be started and for rotationtherewith to crank the engine, a spring pressed detent on said drivingmember adapted to frictionally engage said shaft, a stop shoulder onsaid shaft

